Today
From Our Shelves Fiction Book Club: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. From Our Shelves, the BBS fiction book club, will be reading and discussing “Best of Friends,” by Kamila Shamsie. boulderbookstore.net.
Dave Boylan at The Velvet Elk Lounge: 8 p.m. Wednesday, The Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Dave Boylan has been a fixture on the Front Range music scene for many years, with songwriting awards from as far away as MerleFest North Carolina and Telluride to a troubadour win at The Folks Festival in Lyons. With multiple CDs under his belt, Boylan now splits his time between his solo acoustic work and his secret (not so secret) passion – fronting The Springsteen Tribute Band Thunder Roads. Free, 303-993-8743, etix.com.
Tigran Hamasyan at Boulder Theater: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. With pianist/composer Tigran Hamasyan, potent jazz improvisation fuses with the rich folkloric music of his native Armenia. He’s one of the most remarkable and distinctive jazz-meets-rock pianists of his generation. A piano virtuoso with groove power, Tigran’s latest adventurous project is “An Ancient Observer, his second solo album. Evan Marien and Arthur Hnatek will also be performing. $25-$35, z2ent.com.
Upcoming
Open mic benefit with Fredo Smiles: 5 p.m. Thursday, Trident Café, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Come for an evening of music and poetry for the benefit of JoysKitchen.org, a food bank in Lakewood feeding 5,000 families a month. Hosted by Fredo Smiles, a hip-hop and funk artist from Denver, all genres are welcome. Sign ups start at 5 p.m. The open mic will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. tridentcafe.com.
Blue Eyed Kelly at BOCO Cider: 6 p.m. Thursday, BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Blue Eyed Kelly is a lyrically-driven singer-songwriter that plays country, rock and bluegrass covers and originals. She also sings with the Alpine Chorale, an auditioned Denver-based choir that puts on six performances a year. Free, 720-938-7285, bococider.com.
Maya Ogea at The Velvet Elk Lounge: 8 p.m. Thursday, The Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Maya Ogea is a singer-songwriter from Denver. Ogea has traveled across the United States playing hundreds of live shows and festivals. She has gained recognition throughout her years while also becoming a Nashville recording artist. She has shared the stage with many notable artists including Patrice Rushin, Claud, Dar Williams and Andrew Dost. Her sound is known for being folk-rock with a touch of pop. Free, 303-993-8743.
George Street and the Drive Live at BOCO Cider: 6 p.m. Friday, BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. George Street and the Drive is a local band based in Boulder performing as a trio of guitar, bass and drums. It performs a wide variety of music for audiences to both dance and sit back and enjoy. Playing original music as well as covers, the music circles through many musical styles from Americana to rock and blues. Free, 720-938-7285, bococider.com.
“Talking With…” performance: 7 p.m. Friday, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. In 1981, Ronald Reagan was president. For a brief period of time, the United States was not at war. The first personal computer was put on sale. AIDS was a mystery without a name. Big hair. Gigantic shoulder pads. MTV! And the very first woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor, was nominated by the president. “Talking With…,” by Jane Martin looks at the varied lives of women in that distant decade. Eleven women – 11 stories. The play is a funny, bittersweet and sometimes savage testimonial about who they were and who they wanted to become. $25-$30, thedairy.org.
Phoebe Nix at the Velvet Elk Lounge: 8 p.m. Friday, The Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Phoebe Nix is the group fronted by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Christopher Robert Clauss. Growing up between Colorado and New Jersey, Clauss launched Phoebe in 2014 in the vibrant Asbury Park music scene of coastal New Jersey. After being nominated for top new artist by the Asbury Music Awards, Clauss packed his dreams and life into his car and drove them back out to Boulder. The group features Lucas Cosby on keyboards and synthesizers, Ari Melinger-Cohen on electric bass and Adam Darby on the drum kit, and the occasional horn section. $15, 303-993-8743, event.etix.com.
